General Summary: The Charge Nurse (RN) in a designated charge role coordinates with nursing leadership to ensure that the activities of the nursing staff are providing nursing care to assigned patients utilizing the nursing process to facilitate the patient’s progression toward optimal health. This position provides, directs and guides patient/family teaching and readiness for discharge to prepare the patient for self, home or further professional care. The Charge Nurse in a designated charge role is actively involved in department activities, transdisciplinary team activities, and LifeCare activities to ensure individualized, patient-centered health care for all patient populations admitted to LifeCare Hospital.

Patient Population: Delivers direct patient care appropriate to the patients served. The ages of the patients served are adult (18-65 years of age) and geriatric (65 and older).

Essential Functions:

In collaboration with nursing management, coordinates management activities for the nursing staff in order to ensure optimum, achievable care is delivered. Acts as a resource person. Communicates and collaborates with Administrator-On-Call as appropriate for solutions of any specific and/or unusual situations (e.g. activation of disaster plan).

As requested, reviews schedules to ensure adequate staffing on all shifts, adjusts staff as necessary by transferring individual staff members from one unit to another, arranges and approves necessary overtime and/or unscheduled shifts and calls in relief staff.

Makes rounds on all patients to determine adequacy of planning and implementation of care in collaboration with other team leaders.

Assesses needs of patients in basic and complex situations, identifies potential or actual needs, and communicates changes in patient status, needs or condition to the supervisor and physician when applicable. Documents the assessment.

Plans the care of patients and their families in response to identified needs, throughout the continuum of care, in collaboration with the transdisciplinary team. Documents the plan and revisions.

The knowledge and skills necessary to perform the position requirements are demonstrated through the successful completion of competencies established for the position, to include population served and other special needs of patients or customers, served by the department.

Adheres to LifeCare policies, procedures, all safety plans and all standards imposed by regulatory organizations.

Regular attendance and timeliness is required.

This description is a general statement of required essential functions performed on a regular and continuous basis. It does not exclude other duties as assigned.

Experience: Two years of experience in an acute clinical environment setting.

Education: Bachelor's degree, or combination of an Associate's degree in an approved Registered Nurse program and meaningful and appropriate experience.

Licensure/Certification: Current Registered Nurse license in the state where practicing is required. Current BLS certification is required upon hire and ACLS certification is required within six (6) months of hire. All Registered Nurses must maintain current licensure, BLS and ACLS certifications while employed with LifeCare Hospitals.